Skip to main content
Voices from the front line of the refugee crisis
BEN COWLES talks to some of those who are battling to save lives on the borders of ‘Fortress Europe’
Sea-Eye 4 crew members rescue people from a wooden boat in the central Mediterranean

EUROPEAN governments have either given up trying to save lives in the Mediterranean and Aegean seas, in the Channel, at the borders between Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria, Spain and Morocco, and along the bloc’s eastern borders, leaving people to drown, starve or freeze to death — or they have actively made their borders deadlier.

At the same time, European states have also deliberately hindered and even tried to criminalise the activities of the activists and civil society organisations that have stepped in where they left off.

About 1,500 people drowned in the central Mediterranean this year, according to the International Organisation for Migration’s latest estimates. And over 31,400 people were returned to Libya.

Simon Campbell, Border Violence Monitoring Network

Natalie Gruber, Josoor

Sophie W, Sea Eye

Kim, Channel Rescue

Marie, Mare Liberum

Deanna, Alarm Phone

The 95th Anniversary Appeal
Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
More from this author
The crowd at Manchester Punk Festival 2024
Culture / 11 April 2025
11 April 2025
Ben Cowles speaks with IAN ‘TREE’ ROBINSON and ANDY DAVIES, two of the string pullers behind the Manchester Punk Festival, ahead of its 10th year show later this month
SETTING AN EXAMPLE: Watford’s and Norwich City players tak
Features / 13 March 2025
13 March 2025
Ben Cowles previews his interview with Stand Up to Racism’s SABBY DHALU for the Morning Star’s new Youtube channel
Similar stories
Golden Dawn members hold flags with the meander symbol at a rally outside of party HQ, Athens, March 2015 / Pic: DTRocks/CC
Book Review / 24 April 2025
24 April 2025

These are vivid accounts of people’s experiences of far-right violence along with documentation of popular resistance, says MARJORIE MAYO

pope with migrants webpic.jpg
Features / 22 April 2025
22 April 2025

With the death of Pope Francis, the world loses not only a church leader but also a moral compass

Cyprus' interior minister Konstantinos Ioannou (second right
World / 17 May 2024
17 May 2024
EU states call for Syria to be reclassified as a safe country